The California Center for the Arts, Escondido’s annual Winter Wonderland Festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday, December 5 and 6, 2026, from 1 to 5pm both days. The free community event transforms the Center’s downtown Escondido campus into a holiday winter scene.
The festival’s centerpiece is a real snow play area, and families can take photos with Santa. Live holiday performances by Loud Fridge Theatre Group run throughout both afternoons, with the Escondido Choral Arts Foundation Children’s Choir and roaming carolers adding to the seasonal soundtrack.
A Holiday Artisan Market features handmade gifts from local makers, and food trucks and pop-up vendors offer seasonal treats. Kids can enjoy bubble domes, holiday crafts, free face painting, and Santa’s Reindeer Scavenger Hunt, in which young visitors search the campus for nine hidden reindeer and return their completed map for a prize.
The Center is located at 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido, CA 92025.
For more information visit artcenter.org
